Security systems are often deployed in schools, government buildings, corporate offices, and even many residences. These security systems are comprised of security devices such as sensors, door controllers, security cameras, access control readers, video servers, access control systems, intrusion panels, and elevator control systems, to list a few examples.
Generally, the security devices are used to monitor locations in and around buildings and enable authorized users to access restricted areas through locked doors, for example. Typically, the security devices are connected to a security network and are controlled by a control system (or monitoring station).
In an example, an access control reader reads an employee keycard while a security camera simultaneously monitors and records the employee's movements. If the employee is authorized to access restricted areas, the monitoring station instructs the door controller to unlock the door. Typically, security systems distribute the management and control of security information among multiple monitoring stations and access points within the security system. This distributed information allows the access control readers to make decisions from data downloaded from the access control system.
The installation of security devices in security systems is often complex and time consuming. First, an installer or designer has to identify and select locations throughout the building to install the security devices. Next, the installer has to physically mount the security devices in the building and supply power to the security devices. Next, the installer must connect all of the security devices to the security network. In many cases, connecting the security devices to the security network requires running data cables from data transmission devices to all of the security devices.
After the physical installation of the security devices is complete, the installer must then configure each security device for communication with the monitoring station and/or other security devices on the security network. Generally, configuration of the security devices is tedious, requiring the repeated entering of configuration information such as device names, Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses, media access control (“MAC”) addresses or other device identifiers (“IDs”), device locations, and/or slot numbers for devices. In many cases, the installer has to travel between different locations throughout the office building to configure the security devices, the security network, and the monitoring station of the security network.
Considering specifically traditional door access security systems, the access card replaces physical keys. The access card includes the user's credentials. The user presents the access card to the access card reader to gain access to the door. The access card reader is wired to a control system, such as the access control system (“ACS”) which validates the user's credentials, and grants the users access to the door based on defined security policies by signaling a lock device for the door.
An emerging trend is the adoption of wireless door access systems using wireless lock devices installed in doors that include integrated access card reader functionality. The wireless lock devices, also known as wireless locks, communicate with the access control system via a wireless communications hub, or wireless hub. Each wireless hub often supports multiple wireless lock devices. The wireless hub is installed in a location that facilitates the support of multiple wireless lock devices, such as on a wall above the entry doors in a multi-tenant office building, for example. The wireless hubs, in turn, are typically wired to the access control system. This eliminates what is typically the greatest cost and inconvenience of traditional access control systems, which is the need to run wires from the access control system to the access card reader and lock device at each door.
After the physical installation of the wireless locks, installers then create pairings between the wireless lock devices and the wireless hubs to which the wireless lock devices attach. The installer creates these pairings on the ACS for each of the wireless lock devices.
The pairings typically include an ID that identifies the wireless lock device, such as a MAC address, and an identifier that identifies the communications path provided by the wireless hub to the wireless lock devices.
The communications path identifier to each wireless security device provided by the wireless hub is also referred to as a vector. Each vector is typically the wireless hub ID, such as a MAC address or RS485 address, appended with a slot number of the wireless hub to which each of the wireless lock devices attach. Using the wireless lock ID and vector pairings, security personnel can configure and manage the wireless lock devices from an access control system.